His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visited Portland and Eugene last week to talk about an issue close to his heart: the environment. There were a number of events while he was here, including a panel discussion hosted by Dave Miller at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, May 11th.

Peace and survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities that lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural resources results from ignorance, greed, and lack of respect for the earth’s living things. This lack of respect extends even to the earth’s human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace doesn’t become a reality and if destruction of the natural environment continues at the present rate.

During the discussion Dave spoke with the Dalai Lama about the biggest environmental issues facing our planet. They talked about the impact of globalization; how people can begin to think about the whole world, instead of just their spot in it; the spirituality of environmentalism; and how people can turn concerns into action.

Photography by Ifanyi Bell/OPB

As you listen, you can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag used during the event: #dalailamapdx